Figure 3 Breeding software application monitoring reproductive health in dairy farm

3 Advantages of Herd Management Software (HMS) in the Indian Context
3.1 Ease of entering data
The manager needs to enter all information into one console instead of searching for the relevant page to enter data in 20 or more registers which have to be maintained in an organized dairy farm (Ramkumar et al., 2007).

3.2 Error-checking
In a large herd, it is quite likely that the person who writes the records does not see the cattle on a daily basis. This makes the system more prone to human error in the form of erroneous figures/dates, illegible/confusing handwriting, entering data on the wrong history sheet etc. Herd management software can be programmed to warn the operator regarding entry of erroneous data. E.g. the program can refuse to record drying off of a cow which is not milking, or calving in a heifer which has not been served.

3.3 Ease of initiation
The software can be installed on any desktop or notebook PC. Some versions of the software allow data entry on a Palmtop/Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) which the manager can carry around with him on the farm and synchronize later with the main computer. As all these programs have an easy Graphical User Interface (GUI) consisting of icons for most routine activities, any person with basic computer knowledge can start using the software with a few hours of instruction.

3.4 Data security
As most software of this type needs the user to log in with a username and password before he can start accessing data, data security is absolute. Further, various levels of access like User, Supervisor and Manager can be created, with different rights for each, so that lower-level operators cannot tamper with data. e.g. ‘User’ cannot access previous day’s data, or ‘Supervisor’ cannot access Reports and Analysis module etc. Such kind of data security is very difficult to attain in traditional recording systems, where almost all registers are accessible to all employees and there is scope for manipulation, fraud or loss of data integrity.

3.5 Generates information automatically
HMS automatically generates information based on the data which has been fed in. The farm manager need not waste his time calculating totals or counting the number of days between two dates. E.g. entering the daily milk yields will automatically generate information like lactation milk yield, peak yield etc. Entering date of calving and date of successful insemination will generate service period.

3.6 Generates visual indicators
Software can generate visual indicators like graphs, pie charts etc. which assist the farm manager in comprehending the trends behind the numbers. E.g. a lactation milk curve best indicates a cow’s milking performance rather than 600 numbers representing the morning and evening milk yields spread over a period of ten months.

3.7 Generates efficiency indicators
Software can be programmed to automatically generate productive, reproductive and economic efficiency indicators like persistency of milk yield, milk yield/day of lactation, milk yield/day of calving interval, milk yield/day of body weight at calving, lifetime milk yield, growth studies etc. which can aid the manager in making decisions regarding selection. A similar exercise using registers would be prohibitively time-consuming, error-prone and laborious.

3.8 Allows comparisons
The manager can compare performance of two individuals, two groups of animals, or the same animal/group over different time periods of time to assess superior performance of individuals/groups and managerial measures which can increase productivity. This feature can be of great help in the evaluation of any new technology before implementation in the whole herd. E.g. a new feed additive can be added to the diet of one group of cows and their milking performance compared instantly with a similar group which is not fed the additive. Traditional history sheets and other records do not permit this type of comparison unless lot of manual computing is done.

3.9 Reminders
Herd management software can remind the farm manager every morning about the scheduled activities for the day like vaccination, deworming, ectoparasiticide application, insemination, pregnancy diagnosis, routine maintenance etc. It will also greatly assist him in carrying out these operations in a timely manner and enable him to prioritize and organize his activities for the day. E.g. on entering data about the dates of insemination, the program will automatically remind the manager when it’s time to conduct a pregnancy test.

3.10 Alarms
Traditional record keeping systems do not warn the farm manager about potential events that can be detected by abnormal changes in some of the parameters. E.g. software can be programmed to sound an alarm when there is abnormal decrease in daily milk production of any cow, which can be on account of estrus or disease.

3.11 Generates reports
Herd management software can generate daily, monthly or annual reports or reports for a specific time-period automatically. The format of the reports can be changed as per the user’s requirements. These reports give an overall summary of the activities of the farm and help improve managerial efficiency. E.g. milking report, breeding report, Sales report, Expenditure Statement etc. As these reports are dynamic, any change in the data will be immediately reflected in the report, thus allowing the farm manager to conduct “what-if” studies. Such iterative studies are not possible in traditional record keeping systems.

3.12 Scalability
With today’s desktop computers, there is virtually no limit to the amount of herd data which can be handled and processed. It does not make much difference whether the herd has 20 or 2 000 cows the same program can cater to any herd size. However, traditional recording systems become more cumbersome, labor-intensive and error-prone as the herd size increases.

3.13 Ease of backing up data
In a large, organized dairy farm, information is almost as valuable as the livestock. Loss of pedigree and performance data recorded over a period of years can be devastating, especially in dairy cattle, where the generation interval is very large. Traditional record-keeping systems deteriorate over time, are difficult to duplicate, and prone to damage and destruction by way of fire, moisture, insects, pests etc. However, computerized records can be securely backed up on a flash drive, a removable hard disk, a CD/DVD or on the internet at the touch of a button.

3.14 Data transmission for expert evaluation
The entire herd data for a period of many years can be sent instantly across the world via the internet to experts for assessment and evaluation. This can be very helpful in situations like culling where the manager has to take decisions and a mistake can have severe long-term repercussions. Other possible applications of this feature are the Progeny Testing Programme, wherein the performance of different sires can be evaluated on various farms under varying conditions. It can also be used as a component of the Herd Registration Scheme to compile performance data from various locations.

3.15 Ease of analysis
Data generated by herd management software can be easily converted to MS-Excel, MS-Access or any other database format and subjected to statistical analysis for evaluating various factors influencing performance.

3.16 Integration with newer technologies
Herd management software is an essential requirement in case the farm manager wishes to implement newer technologies like Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFID), advanced machine milking etc. in order to improve farm efficiency.

3.17 Eco-friendly
In times when livestock are being blamed by various organizations for causing more global warming than all the world’s automobiles combined, computerized, paper-less farm records are more eco-friendly, and their contribution to saving the environment, by way of increasing efficiency and decreasing the number of livestock which need to be reared, would be substantial.

4 Limitations of Herd Management Software in the Indian Context
4.1 Lack of indigenous software
Absence of commercially available software with technical support, local terminology and availability in regional languages is the single foremost factor which has prevented the large-scale usage of herd management software in India.

4.2 Negligent attitude towards productivity
There is a very casual attitude toward efficiency of production, especially in the agricultural sector. In most dairy farms, the only parameter in which the owner is interested is the total milk yield produced by the herd every day; individual records are rarely maintained. Given such a situation, motivating the farm owners to take up computerized farm recording would be a major challenge.

4.3 Lack of computer awareness
With the computer becoming omnipresent from primary schools to financial institutions, this factor is not such an insurmountable one, especially given the fact that most modern dairy farms are located in semi-urban areas.

4.4 Infrastructure requirements
A dust-free room and stable power with adequate backup are essential requirements. These should not be such a major encumbrance in any large-scale dairy farm.

5 Conclusions
Management of a dairy enterprise has always required versatile. Most dairy operations in India are too small to economically employ a person from each of these fields of expertise, but should hire consultant from areas, who can help in providing software or can help in developing computer programmes for specific uses at dairy farm. Herd management software is easy management, better reproductive efficiency in dairy farm and also increase profitability in dairy business venture. It’s also helpful in veterinary consultation to accurate diagnosis typical gynecological diseases.

6 Recommendations
Thus, simple, easy-to-use, efficient and cost-effective herd management software would greatly aid the manager of an organized dairy farm to make decisions based on real-time data as well as to analyze various parameters instantly, thus greatly increasing managerial effectiveness and profitability, and enabling him to manage larger herds. It is, therefore, imperative that leading veterinary institutions in India take the initiative in developing and popularizing herd management software.

The use of ICT to contribute to sustainable growth in livestock production in India is not a matter of providing computers and Internet connectivity or "computerization" of livestock research and development institutions. It is of developing effective information systems for planning and monitoring livestock development programs, improving livestock development programs, improving livestock services and enabling learning for capacity development that use ICT effectively and efficiently. This requires fresh policy formulations and clear strategies to use ICT to leverage growth in livestock production to benefit millions of smallholders who rear animals.
 

References
Parikh A., Keyur B., and Kanaiyalal P., 2010, ICT based cattle heat period, insemination and fertility management model, Fourth UKSim European Symposium on Computer Modeling and Simulation
 

Parkison S., and Ramirez R., 2006, Using a sustainable livelihood approaches to assessing the impact of ICTs in development, The Journal of Community Informatics
http://ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article./view/310 
 

Ramkumar S., Garforth C., Rao S.V.N. and Heffernan C., 2007, Design and formative evaluation of an information kiosk on cattle health for landless cattle owners, Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 13(1):7-22
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13892240601162007
 

Saravanakumar V., 2009, Evolving milk pricing model for agribusiness centres: an econometric approach, Agricultural Economics Research Review, 22: 155-160